Exclusive:  Ladoja douses impeachment tension in Oyo Assembly

It is no more news that political tension is brewing at the Oyo State House of Assembly as some members are clandestinely moving for the Impeachment of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin.

However, the tension that heightened in Ibadan, the state capital in preparatory to Ogundoyin’s  impeachment  has been partially laid to rest, Mega Icon Magazine exclusively gathered.

An inside source who craved anonymity alleged that the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Abiodun Mohammed Fadeyi who is  enjoying support from the state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde  is also eyeing the seat. Fadeyi represents Ona-Ara State Constituency.

Reacting to the allegation as well as the development that occurred at the Tuesday’s plenary, Hon. Fadeyi, who denied the impeachment plot submitted: “That I am eyeing the Speakership seat? I don’t have anything to say my brother. First and foremost, there is nothing to talk about, the Speaker took a decision and the decision is done, so what is my own about   I am eyeing the speakership seat,  where is that story coming from ?

“My brother, I am a journalist of over twenty five years and I know what I am talking about. On what you have been asking me I don’t have any comment on it and there is no issue in the House ;no problem in the House. The House is one and we are working for the development and the growth of our state”, the Deputy speaker concluded.

The impeccable source further confirmed to this newspaper that the Speaker, Hon Ogundoyin from Ibarapa East State Constituency would have been impeached by now if not for the intervention of former  Governor Rasidi Ladoja.  He disclosed that Ladoja who is presently out of the country has reached out to Governor Makinde advising him to ensure that the members shunned the unsavoury plot to impeach Ogundoyin at this early hours of his administration.

According to him, “Our leader, Baba Ladoja has intervened. He advised Governor Makinde not to allow such. Baba also noted that it will be too early to precipitate unnecessary crisis because the governor may not be able to manage the crisis till the end of his administration. Such a move will create tension and instability.

“He urged Governor Makinde to consider the adverse effects which may bring about distractions. You know the Speaker started his political career from Baba. Ladoja is spearheading the move to save Ogundoyin from being disgraced out of office”, he hinted.

The source added that Governor Makinde has also doused the impeachment tension as he  prevailed on aggrieved members of the State House of Assembly, noting that he was convinced that the time was neither right or healthy for the state to experience such uneasy calm.

The political game has also cost Hon. Olagoke Akinajo, who is representing Ibadan North East State Constituency I, the Chairmanship of House Committee on Public Works and Transport.

The embattled lawmaker, Olagoke at the Tuesday’s plenary, was unceremoniously removed by the Speaker. Interestingly, Ogundoyin and Akinajo are from the same political party, the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP).

It was also learnt that the PDP controlled State House of Assembly’s loyalty to Governor Makinde is not yielding ‘fruitful benefits’ for the lawmakers as some members lamented of been sidelined.

The lawmakers are silently grumbling over lack of official cars, constituency allowance among others in the last twelve months, except their monthly salaries and allowances which is over two million naira monthly.

Meanwhile, members have agreed to a 30 per cent cut in their monthly allocation to assist the state government in its bid  to pay salaries of workers as COVID-19 affects global economy.

The deduction include the lawmakers’ salaries and other monthly allowances.

These lawmakers, according to our source are unable to facilitate any meaningful projects to their various constituencies and they are being attacked by their constituents for non -performance.